The document outlines best practices for configuring and maintaining SQL Server storage for SharePoint deployments, emphasizing the importance of optimal storage to enhance performance and manageability. Key recommendations include externalizing blob storage to reduce database size and fragmentation, as well as configuring database parameters based on usage scenarios. The Storsimple solution is presented as a comprehensive strategy for externalizing SharePoint blobs, offering several performance and cost benefits.

1. SharePoint Storage
Best Practices
Burzin Patel, StorSimple
Silicon Valley SQL Server User Group
January 13, 2010
Mark Ginnebaugh, User Group Leader

2. SharePoint Storage Best Practices
Burzin Patel
Solutions Architect
StorSimple, Inc.
burzin@storsimple.com

3. Agenda
• Introduction
• SharePoint SQL Server Best Practices
– Storage
– Configuration
– Maintenance & Performance Tuning
• Externalizing BLOB storage
• Demo
• StorSimple Solution
• Q&A

4. Introduction
• Why is SQL Server so important to SharePoint?
– Central store for most SharePoint data
– Stress on SQL Server causes stress on front-end
servers and ultimately degrades user experience
• Why is optimal storage configuration so
challenging?
– Highly variable deployments
– Heavy utilization of back-end SQL Server
– Database bloat; BLOBs stored in database

5. Storage 3. Connectivity
Key Points to Consider to disk array
Host Bus 5. Placement of
1. SQL Server databases on disks
Adapters
Configuration
tempdb
tempdb log
DB T-logs
.
SQL
.
Server
ContentDBs
SearchDB*
6. Externalized 4. Disk
BLOB content configuration
BLOBs 2. HBA
settings

6. Storage
Recommended I/O Capacities
1. Recommended Disk seconds per transfer
– Data files < 10 msec
– T-log files < 5 msec
SAN Optimization
2. Type IOPS / GB
(optional)
Content DBs 0.75 Read optimized
SQL tempdb 2 Write optimized
Database T-logs 2 Write optimized
Search DB 2 Read/Write optimized

7. Storage
Database Configuration
• Recommended database file placement
priority (fastest to slowest drive)
1. tempdb data and t-log files
2. DB T-log files
3. Search DB data files
4. Content DB data files
• Use multiple data files for tempdb, Content & Search DBs
– Distribute same sized data files across separate disks
– Number of data files should be <= processor cores (max=8)
– Multiple data files are not supported for other databases
• When using Enterprise Search, place SharePoint Search
crawl & query processing tables on separate disks

8. Storage
Database Sizing
• Limit Content DBs to 100 GB
– This is only a recommended soft limit
– Primarily dictated by time required for backup/restore
– Larger DBs can cause perf issues
– Larger DBs can result in increased maintenance windows
• Size SQL Server data files appropriately
– Pre-allocate data file to cover anticipated size of Content DB
– Rely on SQL ‘Autogrow’ only as catastrophic insurance policy
– Set SQL ‘Autogrow’ to fixed value appropriate for size of DB
• Use dedicated database for large Site Collections (> 50GB)
• Configure tempdb to be at least 10% of total Content db
size, or the size of the largest table - whichever is greater

9. Configuration
Processors
• Deploy on 64-bit, especially if >1000 users, or >100 GB
of data
• Use 64-bit SQL Server if using 64-bit OS
• Plan for 2 WFE (dual core) / 20K-40K users
• Plan for 1 DB proc core / 20K users (min 8 cores)
• Scale out beyond 8 processors

10. Configuration
Memory
• Set ‘Max Server Memory’
SQL Max Memory = TotalPhyMem
- (NumOfSQLThreads * ThreadStackSize)
- (1GB * CEILING(NumOfCores/4))
- (Any mem required for ‘other’ apps)
NumOfSQLThreads = 256 + (NumOfProcessors*- 4) * 8
ThreadStackSize = 1 MB on x86
2 MB on 64-bit (x64)
4 MB on 64-bit (IA64)
* If NumOfProcessors > 4, else 0.
• On 64-bit use LPiM privilege for SQL Server account
– If using SQL Std edition need following CU + trace flag
• CU2 for SQL Server 2008 SP1 (KBA 970315)
• CU4 for SQL Server 2005 SP3 (KBA 970279)

11. Configuration
• Modification to SharePoint schema is NOT permitted!!
– No new columns, indexes or triggers allowed
– Only SharePoint tools can be used to index columns

12. Maintenance
• Monitor SQL Server performance regularly
– Use SQL Server DMVs, SQL Server 2008 Data
Collectors & Management Data Warehouse can help
– Recommended Perfmon counters listed in notes section
• Check integrity of the database routinely
• DBCC CHECKDB
– Can use REPAIR_REBUILD option to fix errors (not
always possible)
– REPAIR_ALLOW_DATA_LOSS not supported
– Time consuming operation, run during non-peak hours
• Avoid database shrink operations

13. Maintenance
Fragmentation
• Fragmentation occurs when
– Logically linear pages are not physically contiguous
– Page densities are sub-optimal
• Increase space utilization & I/O  degrades performance
• Content and Search dbs most susceptible
• Rebuild / Reorganize indexes to eliminate fragmentation
– Reorganize index when fragmentation between 10-70%
– Rebuild index when fragmentation > 70%
• Existing index options used before the rebuild operation are not
restored. Issue resolved in SQL Server 2005 SP2 and higher
• Use sys.dm_db_index_physical_stats to measure
• Externalizing BLOBs can help reduce fragmentation as well
as rebuild time

14. Externalizing BLOB Data in SharePoint
• BLOB  Binary Large OBject
• BLOB is the data stream associated with a file
– SharePoint File metadata and BLOBs are stored in SQL
databases
– BLOBs do not participate in query operations
• Most SharePoint deployments are file heavy
– Example: Document libraries, Record centers
– Typically account for 80+% of total content

15. Externalizing BLOB Data in SharePoint
Architecture and Operation
Users
6
1
User User
Ack External BLOB
upload
Storage Provider
request
BLOB Storage
BLOB save
SharePoint 2 request
WFE
4
BLOB
Write BLOB BLOB Id
5 SQL Ack 3 Store
Id & SQL returned
metadata
SQL Server
SQL DB Maintainer

16. Demo
Externalizing BLOBS in SharePoint 2007
using StorSimple Appliance & EBS Provider

17. Reasons For Externalizing BLOBs
• Performance
– Reduces size of SQL Server database and working set
– Reduces load on SQL Server box
– Reduces database fragmentation
• Manageability
– Reduces backup/restore times
– Reduces size of SQL database and t-log backups
– Reduces time and costs associated with maintenance
• Richer policies and capabilities
– Data expunge, compression, de-duplication, immutability

18. Considerations When Externalizing BLOBs
Solution works with SharePoint 2007 & 2010 √
Solution offers seamless migration from SharePoint 2007 to 2010? √
Solution works with your version and edition of SQL Server √
Solution integrates with the existing backup/restore solution √
Solution integrates BLOB/meta-data backup/restore √
Performance and scalability of solution √
Offers value added features (compression, de-duplication, encryption) √
Offloads processing from WFEs/Database √
Licensing costs √
Extensibility to leverage cheaper (cloud) storage? √

19. StorSimple SharePoint Solution
• Complete solution to externalize SharePoint BLOBs
– Includes SharePoint EBS/RBS providers
– Seamless installation process
– Integrated backup solution for SQL DB & BLOB backup
• No negative impact to any end user experience
• Smart tiering of data
– Weighted Storage Layout used to optimize I/O access
across tiers
– Option to leverage leverages cloud storage seamlessly
• Solutions starting at US $15,000!

20. StorSimple SharePoint Solution
Benefits
Storage Issue StorSimple Solution
SQL database Performance Issues - 10x reduction in database size for the same volume of
content
- Increased SQL transaction capacity
- Reduced database fragmentation
Hotspot’s slowing down the application - Storage solution optimized for high-speed concurrent
access
Version control is highly desirable but - Data de-duplication, compression, encryption
expensive
SharePoint Silos - Enables only replicating SharePoint meta-data
- Common object store in the cloud accessible at all sites
Inefficient storage usage - Pay-as-you-grow thin provisioning by using cloud storage
with StorSimple controllers
High cost of storing Windows PC data on - Lower cost iSCSI transport and Cloud storage with the
fiber-channel storage in SQL database same enterprise class application availability & performance
- Up to 80% reduction in number of SQL Servers

21. StorSimple SharePoint orage Solution
Supported Versions
• SharePoint
– SharePoint 2007 SP1 (WSS & MOSS)
– SharePoint 2010 (MSS & MSF)
• SQL Server
– SQL Server 2005 (all editions)
– SQL Server 2008 (all editions)
• SharePoint externalization technology (APIs)
– EBS (External BLOB Storage)
– RBS (Remote BLOB Storage)

22. StorSimple SharePoint Solution
Product Evaluation (Beta)
• Please contact us (burzin@storsimple.com) if you’re
interested in evaluating the StorSimple SharePoint
storage solution
• Next steps:
– Detailed technical discussion
• Discussions with your SharePoint, SQL and storage admins covering
our solution and your use case
– Beta Planning
• Beta questionnaire & test plans
– Beta Testing
• Validate solution fit for your environment
• Provide feedback on building a better solution

23. Q&A
Thanks!

24. www.bayareasql.org
To learn more or to inquire about speaking opportunities, please contact:
Mark Ginnebaugh, User Group Leader mark@designmind.com